No. 182.
Report of Lieut. Col. Charles H. Grosvenor, Eighteenth Ohio Infantry,
commanding Third Brigade, of operations December 15-20, 1864.
HDQRS. THIRD BRIGADE, PROVISIONAL DIVISION,
ARMY OF THE CUMBERLAND,
Stevenson, Ala.,
December 23, 1864.
SIR: I have the honor to submit the following report of the
operations of my brigade during the recent campaign in front of Nashville:
On the evening of December 14 I received your orders to
report with my command “in trim for fighting” to Col. Thomas J. Morgan, on the
Murfreesborough turnpike, the next morning at daylight. I at once communicated
in writing with that officer, and by his direction met him at his headquarters
and was advised of plans, and received definite orders at 5 a.m. December 15.
My command was as follows: Sixty-eighth Indiana Volunteers, Lieut. Col. H. J.
Espy commanding; Eighteenth Ohio Volunteers, Capt. Ebenezer Grosvenor
commanding, and the Second Battalion, Fourteenth Army Corps, Capt. D, H,
Henderson, One hundred and twenty-first Ohio Volunteers, commanding. I moved on
the left of Colonel Morgan's brigade, and formed in rear of, and in support of,
his line of battle, on the Murfreesborough road, left in front, resting at the
picket-line. Shortly afterward I sent Lieutenant-Colonel Espy with the
Sixty-eighth Indiana to protect the left flank and guard against a sudden
movement of the enemy to turn Colonel Morgan's left, should any be attempted,
and I pushed that regiment well out to the left of Rains' house to such a distance
as to insure the safety of the skirmishers of the Fourteenth U.S. Colored
Troops, then pressing rapidly forward. By order of Colonel Morgan I followed
the movements of his line of battle, pushing my two remaining regiments well up
to the enemy's works near Rains' house, and protected them under the slope of
the hill. The skirmish line of Colonel Morgan's command now met with strong
resistance, and his first line of battle being checked in its movements by the
fire of the enemy posted behind his line of intrenchments, Colonel Morgan
ordered me to assault with the Eighteenth Ohio and the Second Battalion the
works in my front. He at the same time indicated, by pointing to certain trees
in the woods, the earth-work I was to strike and carry if possible. I communicated
the order to my command and went forward myself to assist in the execution.
Before arriving at the works we had to pass over a corn-field completely
covered and enfiladed by the enemy's work. Two picket fences also stood right
in our path, and these we had to remove. This accomplished, Captain Grosvenor
moved rapidly with his command, by the right flank, at double-quick across the
field, striking the salient of the enemy's work. The regiment charged gallantly
over the palisade defense in front of the angle of the work, and succeeded in
gaining with near 100 men the interior of the work. The testimony of all the
men and officers in sight shows that Captain Grosvenor led the head of his
regiment full upon the enemy's work, discharged his pistol in the very face of
the enemy, and while springing over the embankment he fell forward dead, shot
by two balls. Lieut. Samuel W. Thomas fell instantly killed while removing the
palisades so as to admit his men. His body lay within ten feet of the works. In
the meantime I led the Second Battalion in person to the assault of the right
and southern angle of the work. In this I was ably assisted by Captains
Henderson, Brown, and other officers of the battalion, and all that could be
was done to bring the line to an assault of the work. But the troops were
mostly new conscripts, convalescents, and bounty jumpers, and on this occasion,
with but few honorable exceptions, behaved in the most cowardly and disgraceful
manner. The enemy, seeing the men hesitating and wavering, fired a heavy volley
and stampeded the whole line. In vain the officers tried to rally the men; in
vain the old soldiers rushed forward themselves; the line broke, and nearly all
the men fled from the field. This great misfortune left the enemy free to
converge his whole fire upon the Eighteenth Ohio, which he did, and finally
drove it, stubbornly fighting its way, off the ground. Captain Benedict, second
in rank in the Eighteenth, was wounded soon after the death of Captain
Grosvenor, and, being temporarily disabled, was succeeded in command by Lieut.
Charles Grant. Capt. D. H. Henderson, One hundred and twenty-first Ohio
Volunteers, Second Battalion, while heroically endeavoring to rally his
disordered men, was severely wounded, and after the retreat left the field.
I withdrew my command by order of Colonel Morgan and
reformed my lines, my right resting at the orphan asylum, and again advanced,
throwing forward a strong line of skirmishers. Later, the enemy opened heavily
with a battery against Colonel Thompson, on the west of the railroad, and I
deployed the Sixty-eighth Indiana, supported by the Eighteenth Ohio, and
pressed back the enemy's skirmishers on the flank of his battery. My
skirmishers of the Sixty-eighth Indiana advanced skillfully and rapidly, opened
so effective a fire upon the enemy's flank as to totally silence the fire of
his battery for the balance of the day.
Friday, December 16, I moved at 7 a.m., the Eighteenth U.S.
Colored Troops, Major Joy commanding, being added to my command. We moved over
the battle-field of the day before and found our dead all stripped of their
clothing and left exposed upon the open field. After crossing the Nolensville
road we came in sight of the enemy, strongly posted on the Overton Hill, near the
Franklin road, and at about noon joined the left of the Fourth Army Corps, in
line facing south in front of the position. Here we remained until about 4
p.m., the enemy annoying our position by a constant fire upon us. We then
formed to assault Overton Hill. I formed my brigade on the left of that of
Colonel Thompson, as follows: Eighteenth U.S. Colored Troops and Second
Battalion, Captain Brown commanding, in the first line; Eighteenth Ohio and
Sixty-eighth Indiana in the second line. We advanced through a small thicket
and crossed rapidly over a wide, open cornfield under a sharp fire of grape and
canister. While crossing this field the brigade of Colonel Thompson (or several
regiments of it) moved by left oblique so rapidly as to throw a portion of my command
into confusion, and finally crossed my front and came out on my left. The
inexperience of the men of the Second Battalion, the wounding of the brave
Captain Brown, commanding, as also the absence of the next officer in rank,
Captain Riggs, Twenty-seventh Ohio Volunteers, threw that organization in such
confusion that it could not be rallied, and I saw it no more during the
campaign until I arrived at Murfreesborough. The remainder of the brigade
pushed promptly forward, crossed the field, and pushed their skirmishers up to
the base of the hill under the enemy's works. But the first assault of the
Fourth Corps had failed, my line had become too weak to accomplish much without
support, and none was at hand. I halted my line in the timber, and held my ground
until ordered to retire. I reformed at nearly right angles and easterly from my
original position, and on the right of Colonel Thompson. Here we threw up
barricades. But we again moved forward, my right closing on the left of the
Fourth Corps, and the enemy fled in great confusion from the hill, and the
whole line pressed forward in pursuit and encamped for the night near
Brentwood.
Saturday, 17th, we moved forward, generally deployed in line
of battle, on the east of the Franklin road, reaching Franklin at dark. We did
no fighting. Sunday, 18th, after marching three miles south of Franklin, the
command was ordered to Murfreesborough, where it arrived Tuesday, the 20th
instant.
I have the honor to forward lists of killed, wounded, and
missing herewith.*
We captured about 60 prisoners, a portion of whom were
turned over and receipted for, and others were informally transferred to the Fourth
Corps and other commands.
Permit me to speak briefly of the great gallantry and high
qualities of Captain Grosvenor, Eighteenth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, who died so
gallantly at the head of his command. He was a true, efficient, and chivalrous
soldier. Always prompt in the discharge of duty, courteous, truthful, and
honest in his official associations, pure in heart, simple and unostentatious
in life, brave and dashing in action, the service and the country have
sustained an irreparable loss.
Lieutenant Thomas, Eighteenth Ohio Volunteers, also killed,
was a brave, gallant, and faithful soldier, and gave promise for the future.
The Sixty-eighth Indiana Volunteers behaved with great
gallantry and true soldierly endurance throughout. Its men are well drilled,
its officers brave and efficient. Lieutenant-Colonel Espy rendered me most
invaluable services, both as regimental commander, staff officer, and brigade
commander during my illness from the 19th till the 23d of December. I recommend
Lieutenant-Colonel Espy as a first-rate soldier and worthy man.
Captain Benedict, Eighteenth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, was
wounded in each battle, and finally disabled and carried from the field. He is
a most thoroughly reliable and efficient officer, and long ago deserved
promotion.
Captains Henderson and Brown, of the Second Battalion,
behaved well, as did also without exception all the officers of that
unfortunate command on the two fields. It was not from want of gallantry on
their part that their battalion failed.
The Eighteenth Ohio gives promise to sustain fully the good
names of the organizations from which it was formed.
My thanks are due to Lieut. E. P. Johnson, Sixty-eighth
Indiana Volunteers, acting assistant adjutant-general on my staff, for his
courage, perseverance, and faithfulness in the discharge of his duty in camp
and field, as also Lieut. Joseph E. Chapman, acting commissary of subsistence
and aide-de-camp, for his efficient aid on the field.
Lieut. T. A. Beaton, Fifth Tennessee Cavalry, reported to me
on the field each day, and, although not on duty within this department,
volunteered his efficient assistance in many ways.
Surgeon Jenner, Fifth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, brigade
surgeon, although without proper supplies or facilities, distinguished himself
by his devotion to the sick and the wounded during the whole of the arduous
campaign. I owe him especial thanks for his care and skillful attention to
myself.
I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient
servant,
C. H. GROSVENOR,
Lieut. Col.
Eighteenth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, Comdg. Brigade.
Capt. JOHN A. WRIGHT,
Asst. Adjt. Gen., First
Division.
_______________
* Embodied in table, p. 102.
SOURCE: The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of
the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series I, Volume
45, Part 1 (Serial No. 93), p. 526-9
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